The present disclosure generally relates to industrial storage systems and, more particularly, to a mobile industrial rack system for use in areas having seismic activity or on unleveled flooring.
Industrial rack systems are commonly used in storage facilities to store products until those products are shipped either directly to a consumer or to a retailer. Typically, the industrial racks store loaded pallets that are placed on and removed from the racks using a forklift. The industrial racks are spaced from one another in a manner to form relatively wide aisles to allow sufficient room for the forklift to load and remove the pallets. Since each industrial rack has a fixed position, each industrial rack must have a dedicated aisle. Moreover, since each aisle is typically as wide, if not wider than, the rack itself, more than half the floor space occupied by the industrial rack system may be occupied by aisles and thus not usable for product storage.
Mobile industrial rack systems, however, are designed to reduce the number of fixed aisles and, as a result, increase the amount of floor space used for product storage. More particularly, in a typical configuration, a single aisle may be allocated for the entire industrial rack system. The position of that single aisle can be changed by moving the industrial racks along a track or rail that is mounted or otherwise secured to the storage facility flooring, which is typically a concrete slab. While in some configurations each industrial rack is moved independently, it is common for back-to-back industrial racks to be coupled using a rigid flue spacer connector and moved as a single multi-rack unit by a single mobile carriage supporting both racks. To access a forward rack of a given back-to-back configuration, the racks are moved such that an aisle is formed immediately forward of the back-to-back configuration. To access a rearward rack of the given back-to-back configuration, the racks are moved such that an aisle is formed immediately rearward of the back-to-back configuration. Mobile industrial rack systems provide nearly twice the storage capacity of a similarly sized fixed rack system.
Conventional mobile industrial rack systems must roll on leveled rail such that the heavy loading of the industrial racks does not create an undesired imbalance as the racks are being moved. Thus, in a typical implementation, the existing concrete floor of a storage facility, which is generally not level within the specifications required for the mobile industrial rack system, must be leveled by applying a thin coat of concrete material to the concrete floor. The rails along which the racks move are then anchored through the thin coat of concrete material and to the concrete floor. Alternately, footings may be poured beneath the concrete floor and the rails anchored to the footings beneath the concrete floor. A similar thin coat of concrete material is then poured around the rail to provide a leveled floor surface. Grout or similar material is typically placed between the rails and the concrete floor or footings. In both instances, measures must be taken to provide a level surface for the rails along which the racks move, which are generally quite costly.
In areas in which there is a relatively high frequency of seismic activity, rigid connectors are often required between the two racks of a multi-rack unit to withstand seismic activity. The rigid connectors used between the two racks of a multi-rack unit somewhat limits the degree to which the floor can be uneven. Thus, a connector that allows for relative movement between the two racks of a multi-rack unit increases the use and availability for the mobile industrial rack system.